Untitled
by SpringDilemma
Summary: Saddle Club: Max learns stuff about Red's past and Red runs away. I created Red's horse, I know this horse doesn't exist in the TV show or books! Please read and review! Story is in Misc. TV shows cause I couldn't find a TV Show category for it.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Saddle Club. This is a site called "_fanfiction_", _fiction_ written by _fans_! **

**A/N: kinda wanted to do a Saddle Club story with Red as the main character. Fear not, I have not abandoned my Alex Rider story, just taken a brief hiatus!**

Red angrily tacked up Tigra, his bright bay mare. He didn't bother to wipe the tears clouding his eyes. _How the hell did Max figure everything out? Literally everything…the barn fire…his horse…the Junior trial he screwed up…no_ he wouldn't think about that. Leading Tigra out of her stall, Red checked for anybody in the aisle especially the Saddle Club or Kristi and especially Max.

He led Tigra outside and swung up onto her back, not bothering to realize that he forgot a helmet. Urging Tigra into a gallop Red directed her towards the trails, barely even knowing where he was going.

**:::::::::::::**

'Max!'

'What, mom?' Max said wearily.

'Where's Red?' Mrs. Reg appeared in the doorway of Max's office looking incredibly upset.

'Why? I thought he left' Max replied.

'The girls told me what happened. Max, what did you say to him?'

'I told him I found out about the fire and…'

Mrs. Reg raised her eyebrow 'and what?'

'His horse.'

**:::::::::::::**

'Oh my God' Carol cried, looking into Tigra's stall.

'What?!' asked Lisa and Stevie, who were two stalls down grooming Prancer.

'Where's Tigra?' asked Carol, worried.

'She's probably in the pasture' Stevie said.

'No. She's not. I just put Delilah out there.'

'Well, then Red must have switched up the pasture arrangements' Stevie said nonchalantly.

'Why don't you just ask Max?' supplied Lisa.

'Girls! Do you know where Red is?' Max asked, striding towards the Saddle Club.

'Umm…no. Actually we were gonna ask you where Tigra is?' said Carol just as Lisa said 'wait! Red's missing?!'

Max sighed as all three girls gasped. 'You mean Red took Tigra out? By himself?! Is Tigra even fully trained?'

'I think so. Yes. Red's an excellent rider' Max tried to answer all the questions as calmly as possible. Mrs. Reg came up next to him 'Max relax. We know Red, he'll be fine.'

Max turned towards them, with an incredibly miserable expression on his face 'he was too upset to think. Red would never have endangered Tigra willingly.'

**:::::::::::::**

Red slowed Tigra to a walk 'easy girl' he said patting her neck. _The flames, the horse screams…Red stop that_, he told himself. It was getting dark, and Tigra was starting to get nervous. Since leaving Pine Hollow, Red was starting to feel slightly guilty. Max was probably out of his mind with worry and so was Mrs. Reg. And Tigra really hated the dark and the woods.

'Tigra easy. Easy girl' Red said soothingly as Tigra pranced nervously 'steady girl.' Tigra reared and spun almost flying into a tree. Red slipped out of the saddle, hanging on Tigra's side. Tigra reared again and Red lost his grip on the reins and fell heavily landing on the ground striking his head on a rock.

Red groaned, looking up as Tigra galloped off in the direction of Pine Hollow, and lost consciousness.

**:::::::::::::**

'Max! Tigra's back!' Carol yelled.

'Thank God. Where's Red?' he asked taking in Tigra's muddy coat, broken reins, and dirty saddle.

'We don't know.'

**Please read and review! I would like reviews before I continue this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Whoa. Sorry, I forgot that Carole was spelled with an 'e'. I fixed it in Chapter 2 though!**

'Okay emergency saddle club meeting!' called Stevie, once they were done cleaning Tigra.

'So where did Red go?' asked Carole, once they were all established in the hayloft.

'Well Tigra's coat was really muddy, so maybe he went on the trails' suggested Lisa.

'Yeah but Red knows Tigra hates the woods and gets really spooked.'

'Wait a sec. Didn't Max say something about Red being really upset?' said Stevie.

'Yeah, what was he even upset about?' queried Carole.

'I think Max figured something out that Red didn't want figured out…Max said something about a fire and Red's other horse. And we already know he stopped riding about, what? Three years ago?'

'Yeah but we really need to find Red. He could be out there hurt or something!' said Lisa worriedly.

'Okay. Let's go tack up!' said Stevie jumping up.

'Stevie…Max doesn't want us going out' protested Carole

'He didn't want us going out after Prancer, but we did anyway right?'

'Fine' said Lisa 'I'll go grab flashlights. Carole could you tack up Prancer for me?'

'Sure.'

**:::::::::::::**

'Mom. I really need to go out after Red. We don't even know where he is' Max ran a hand through his blond hair like he always did when he was upset.

Mrs. Reg nodded agreement, 'by the way where's the saddle club?'

'No. They didn't-I thought I told them to stay here' Max sighed.

Mrs. Reg gave him a look that clearly said what she thought.

'Alright mom, _now_ I'm going out there.'

**:::::::::::::**

'Well it looks like Red cut across the pasture' Carole said as she crouched next to a set of hoofprints.

'How we do know these are Tigra's?' called out Stevie.

'These are really fresh and no horse has been in here for three months' replied Carole as she swung back on Starlight.

'Lisa you were right! He went into the woods. Let's go!' as the three girls cantered into the trails.

Max wasn't far behind them 'Stevie! Lisa! Carole! Red!' he shouted.

'Did you hear that?' asked Stevie.

'Yeah. It sounded like Max.'

'Max, we're over here!' yelled Lisa.

Max quickly cantered up to them 'girls what do you think you're doing?!'

'Ummm…looking for Red?' supplied Stevie nervously, Max looked really mad.

'Just stay close to me. If we find him I want _all_ three of you to go back to Pine Hollow.'

All three girls nodded and got into a single file formation following Max.

They were about to turn around when Lisa suddenly stopped Prancer, almost causing Stevie to crash into her.

'Look! What's that?' she asked pointing her flashlight in the direction of what looked like a body.

Max was already running towards it as the three girls dismounted and looped their reins over bushes.

Max knelt and gently turned the body over. It was Red. He was so pale that Max almost didn't recognize him. Carole knelt down next to Max, pulling off her jacket and easing it under Red's head.

'Stevie, Lisa can you ride back to Pine Hollow?' asked Max as he worriedly checked for a pulse breathing a small sigh of relief when he found one.

'Carole, you've had first aid training?'

'Yes'

'Okay you'll stay here with me. Lisa when you get back to Pine Hollow call for an ambulance.'

Lisa nodded and quickly mounted Prancer as Stevie swung up onto Belle and the two girls quickly cantered off towards Pine Hollow.

Carole finished easing her jacket under Red's head as Max pulled out a gauze pad and held it against Red's head wound.

'It looks like he's got a concussion' Max said as Red's eyes fluttered open and he groaned.

'Max?' Red moaned softly and rolled onto his side vomiting onto the ground.

'Red sit up' Max said as he eased Red into a sitting position.

'Max, he's shivering really badly' Carole said worriedly.

Max pulled his own jacket off and wrapped it around his head-stablehand's shaking shoulders.

'Carole can you make sure he's responsive?' asked Max rubbing Red's shoulders trying to keep him warm.

Carole quickly picked up a flashlight and gently shone it in Red's eyes trying to get Red's eyes to follow the light.

'Max, his pupils are really dilated and he's pretty unresponsive' Carole said as Red's head started to droop. Max lightly slapped Red's cheek 'Stay awake'.

**Please, please, please (with a cherry on top!) read and review! I don't think I'm going to continue this if I don't get reviews or follows in the next week or so.**


	3. Chapter 3

Red's head lolled on Max's shoulder as Carole tried again for cell signal.

'Nothing. What do you think happened?' Carole asked.

'I don't know. Tigra probably spooked and threw him' Max said as he checked Red's weakening pulse.

'Why'd he go out? I mean Red knows Tigra hates the trails, right?' said Carole as she pulled out a spare jacket from Max's saddlebags.

As Carole draped the jacket over Red's lap Max said 'I figured some things out about Red's past and I confronted him about it.'

'What did you find out?' Carole asked as she pulled her own jacket on.

'Red was the youngest member training for the Nationals. He screwed up in a trial and the trainer was incredibly mad, with good reason. Red obviously wasn't paying attention…anyway he and the trainer got into a fight. Red was supposed to lock up the barn at night but didn't. Later that night the barn caught fire, all but two horses made it out. One of the two horses was Red's. After this Red quit and never rode until Tigra came. Carole?'

Carole wasn't paying attention to Max anymore 'Max where's Red's helmet?'

'What?' Max asked distractedly as Red drifted into consciousness.

'Max?' Red's voice came out as a weak whisper.

'It's okay Red. Stevie and Lisa went back for help. You're going to be okay.'

'S-s-sorry' Red mumbled.

'Why?' Max said gently.

'I-I-I-I went out without' Red paused to swallow painfully 'a helmet.'

He sighed exhaustedly and passed out again. Max looked at Carole who looked horrified.

'Max it's getting really cold and dark out. Stevie and Lisa should have gotten back to Pine Hollow by now, right?' Carole said nervously.

'Yeah. If they don't come back in another half hour, we'll go back. Red needs to get warm.'

**:::::::::::::**

'Mrs. Reg!' called Stevie hopping off Belle. Mrs. Reg came out of Max's office 'girls? Did you find Red? Is he alright?'

'Yes' said Lisa coming up behind Stevie 'and we need to call for an ambulance right now!'

Mrs. Reg ran into the office as Stevie and Lisa sighed in relief.

'Girls, the EMTs are going to need you to direct them to where Red, Max and Carole are.'

'Okay.'

'Meet them out in the field' Mrs. Reg called from the office. Lisa and Stevie quickly grabbed their horses and started out again.

**:::::::::::::**

'I think I see someone coming' said Carole as she stood up.

'Carole! Max!' called Lisa as she came riding up.

'Okay so the ambulance is here. But they definitely can't get through here so we need to get Red out to the pasture.'

Max stood up slowly, sliding his arms under Red's back and knees.

'I'll carry him. Carole can you lead Barq?'

She nodded as Max continued to carry Red, following Lisa. By the time Carole got to the pasture with Barq in tow, Max was carefully laying Red onto a gurney and watching as he was loaded into the ambulance.

'Girls, go back to Pine Hollow. Cool down your horses. Call your parents and tell them you're staying here for the night. I'm going with Red to the hospital' Max said.

**:::::::::::::**

Max stood up from the uncomfortable plastic chair he had been waiting in.

'Doctor, how is he?'

'He's asleep, definitely has a concussion, but other than that he is fine. We gave him pain meds and fluids. Does he have any relatives that you know of?'

'N-n-no. Not that I know of' Max replied, 'can I see him?'

'I suppose, but as I said before he's still asleep' the doctor turned and walked down the hall to room 4.

Max slowly walked into the room. Red looked so much younger when he slept.

**One more chapter after this and then back to my Alex Rider fanfic! **


	4. Chapter 4

Red didn't know when he had felt so tired before. His eyelids refused to open and everything was just a mass of swirling colors. For some reason all Red remembered was Tigra rearing and then Max carrying him and then nothing.

**:::::::::::::**

Max sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Red had been unconscious for almost three days now and Max hadn't left the hospital since Red had been brought in. Now that he thought about it, he really hadn't known anything about Red.

Until now. Max had already mentally cursed himself repeatedly for confronting Red about the trial and his horse. That was all he had known about Red. Red had never said anything about this, never mentioned the horse and never mentioned where he had learned to ride. Max should have known. He should have known there was a reason and he should've respected that. If he had, then they probably wouldn't be in this mess.

Red shifted in the bed, mumbling something. Max was up on his feet in an instant pressing the call button for the nurse.

**:::::::::::::**

_Jacob. Heading straight towards that jump. Landing it, but tripping, him almost falling off. Placing third, the trainer yelling. Arguments. Loading Jacob back into the trailer, driving back. Unloading Jacob. Taking off. Coming back two hours later, the barn blazing. The screams. Jacob, his coat smoking. The vet. Jacob's eyes closing. Forever._

Red's eyelids fluttered open and he whispered 'Jacob?'

'Hey its okay. You're going to be fine' Max soothed Red as the teen's blue eyes flitted around the hospital room.

'Where am I?' asked Red groggily.

'You're in a hospital. You remember what happened?'

'Yeah. Tigra threw me and then…' Red paused, confused.

'You had a concussion' Max finished the sentence for hm.

'I-I-I-I owe you an explanation I think.'

The nurse walked in, closely followed by the doctor.

'We need to check he's okay and then you can have all the time you want with him sir' said the nurse respectively.

The doctor quickly sat on the edge of Red's bed and proceeded to do exactly what Carole had done back at Pine Hollow only getting different results.

The doctor stood up 'he's fine. I'd like to keep him here another night just to monitor him.'

Max nodded and sank back into the uncomfortable chair again.

'I owe you an explanation. I-I didn't mean to go out without a helmet. I was upset. How did you find all that out?'

Max heaved a sigh 'Deborah found all this out. It's not her fault, I asked her to. Red, you've never said where you trained, where you came from or actually anything!'

'Why do I have to tell you anything?!' Red asked angrily.

'Red. You live and work at my stable. I deserve to know at least if you have any living relatives. For the three days you've been here nobody related to you has stopped by! I tried to contact your folks but apparently you don't have any?!' Max struggled not to raise his voice.

Red turned his face away from Max. When he spoke again the pillow and tears muffled Red's voice. 'Jacob was my horse. He was incredible, he would have done anything for me. But I left. I took off and he died.'

Max sighed and said 'Red it wasn't your fault. You didn't set fire to the barn.'

Red didn't respond for a few minutes. When he rolled over again he said 'you think so?'

'No. I think it's time for you to leave the past behind' Max responded 'Jacob died. But it wasn't your fault.'

Red gave him a weak smile 'thanks.'

'Get some sleep.'


End file.
